Background
Please note that this vacancy notice is not for a specific assignment but is aimed to identify individuals with in-depth knowledge of and experience in the field of water management resources to update the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan roster of experts/consultants. Successful applicants will be included in the POiN roster, with the possibility of being contacted in case of an assignment, for which they possess relevant qualifications. Inclusion into the roster does not carry any commitment by the OSCE to use the services of the expert.
According to its mandate, the Programme Office in Nur-Sultan is entrusted with supporting Kazakhstan in implementing OSCE principles and commitments in all three dimensions within the OSCE framework approach to co-operative security, and the regional context.
Through its efforts in the Environmental and Economic Dimension, the Office focuses on supporting Kazakhstan in promoting cross-border dialogue and cooperation with the Russian Federation. In this regard, the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan announces a call for experts with specific experience in one of the following areas:
1) Water-supply engineering (water-supply engineering specialist)
A water-supply engineering specialist representing Kazakhstan shall perform the following main duties:
- Conduct general review of existing operating regimes/protocols adopted for water reservoirs located along the bed of the river Zhaiyk (Ural) and its main tributaries in Kazakhstan;
- Exchange review results with the Russian side with respect to existing operating regimes/protocols of water reservoirs located along the bed of the Zhaiyk (Ural) river and its main tributaries in Kazakhstan;
- Jointly with the water-supply engineer from the Russian Federation, develop recommendations for introducing changes and additions to water reservoir operating rules/procedures, taking into account the results of the synchronization of seasonal floods, as well as for reconstructing existing water supply facilities and constructing new facilities required for the synchronization of seasonal floods (where necessary);
- Prepare recommendations for additional protection of communities and economic infrastructure situated in close proximity to bodies of water where there is a risk of water table rising in the high-water period as a result of seasonal flood synchronization;
- Participate in the development of recommendations for measures of increasing the flood volume of the Ural river at the border of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation;
- Participate in presenting the outcomes of joint studies of the hydrological regime of the Zhaiyk (Ural) river under the auspices of the VII Forum of Inter-Regional Cooperation of Kazakhstan and Russia (12 November 2020 in the city of Kokshetau).
2) Hydrology specialist
Main duties of a hydrology specialist representing Kazakhstan:
- Collect and analyse multi-year hydrological characteristics of bodies of water within the Zhaiyk (Ural) river basin during flood seasons (start date, peak date, end date, levels and water flows at these dates):
- collect hydrometerological data and information over the available monitoring period in the Republic of Kazakhstan;
- analyse the collected data and information to identify trends and patterns of flood events over the past years, as well as factors affecting their duration and volumes.
- Share data with the Russian side with respect to the collection and analysis of multi-year hydrological characteristics of bodies of water within the Zhaiyk (Ural) river basin during flood seasons, obtained through the studies conducted under the Project.
- Jointly with the hydrologist representing Russia, determine the time it takes seasonal flood to travel to the primary hydrologic sections using hydrological estimation methods, along the bed of the Zhaiyk (Ural) river and its primary tributaries.
- Jointly with the hydrologist representing Russia, compare seasonal flooding parameters in the years that vary by water content, along the bed of the Zhaiyk (Ural) river and its primary tributaries, and analyse the compatibility of seasonal flood waves to create a time synchronization regime:
- based on the outcomes of the analysis conducted (paras. 1, 2 and 3), conduct joint estimations in order to identify parameters of seasonal flooding spread throughout the hydrologic areas of the Zhaiyk (Ural) river and its tributaries of the 1st order;
- conduct a comparative analysis of seasonal flooding parameters for the years that vary by water content along the main river and its tributaries, to possibly achieve synchronization of flood timings in various segments.
- Jointly with other specialists of the project (both from Kazakhstan and Russia) develop recommendations for measures of increasing the flood volume of the Ural river at the border of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation.
- Participate in the preparation of recommendations for additional protection of communities and economic infrastructure situated in close proximity to bodies of water where there is a risk of water table rising in the high-water period as a result of seasonal flood synchronization.
- Participate in the development of recommendations for introducing changes and additions to water reservoir operating rules/procedures, taking into account the results of the synchronization of seasonal floods, as well as for reconstructing existing water supply facilities and constructing new facilities required for the synchronization of seasonal floods (where necessary).
Required qualifications
- Higher education degree in water engineering, hydrology and/or adjacent fields;
- At least 5 years of work experience in the area of water engineering;
- Experience at developing regulatory or legal documents (lawmaking) in the area of sustainable water resource management;
- Familiarity with the national legislation, state programmes and strategies in the area of water resources and water resource management;
- Excellent skills in written and spoken Russian and/or Kazakh language;
- Working knowledge of English language will be a strong asset;
- Work experience at international projects is welcome;
- Skills related to preparing reports and analytical materials.
Remuneration Package
Remuneration will depend on the selected consultant/expert qualifications and experience and in accordance with the OSCE established consultancy rates.
How to Apply
If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE’s online application link found under https://jobs.osce.org/. Those applicants who cannot fill in the forms in English, but possess relevant expertise, may use the OSCE offline application form in Russian or Kazakh language found under https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/offline-application-form. Please forward the completed offline form (together with motivation letter), quoting the job title and the VN number by e-mail [email protected]. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment at a lower grade or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.
Only those applicants who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of the recruitment will be contacted.
Please note that this vacancy is open only for the nationals of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization.
Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.
